1. Field
This disclosure relates to digital music devices, more particularly to methods for managing play lists in those music devices.
2. Background
With the advent of digital music devices, such as MP3 (Moving Pictures Experts Group, Audio Layer 3) players, users now have many configuration features available to them. Digital music players produce music from digital files stored in a memory on the player. The digital files are generally downloaded to the player from a host computer or network while the player is in communication with the host. The player may be portable, a home music system or mounted in a vehicle, as examples.
Many manufacturers of these types of players have made management of the music on the devices more user-friendly. Since the player has to be connected to a host computer or network, many of the players rely upon the intelligence of the host to configure their player. Configuration choices, such as selection of music to be loaded onto the player, as well as various means for organizing the music, are now available to these users through the host.
Play lists allow users to organize their music into ‘themed’ lists, such as by artist, year or type of music. Typically, users build a play list by manually selecting the appropriate files from their music selection. In some instances, users can sort their music files by a certain attribute. This may allow the selection of the files more convenient. The play lists are typically created on the host and the files are then downloaded into the player.
Some larger players, such as those in the home or in a vehicle, may have the capability to allow the user to create play lists on the player. Once the user has selected the files for a certain play list, the play list is saved. The user can then select this play list in the future.
When the player executes a play list, it plays all of the song in the list residing on the player. If new music is added to the player, the user must manually update the play list to include the new files. If the user does not remember the criteria used to create the play list, the user may have to recreate the list manually. Both of these processes are inconvenient, and even more so if the user has to reconnect to the host computer or network to perform these tasks.
It would be useful to allow users to perform these types of functions on the player and to store the play list criteria in such a manner as to automatically update them.